N_C

I'd like to offer any safety advice to anyone that asks for it. I am the RIDE RIGHT Coordinator for the Siouxland Cyclists, the bike safety coordinator for the Siouxland Trails Foundation, the bicycle safety person for the City of South Sioux City & a merit badge counselor for the Cycling Merit Badge with the local Boy Scouts in my community. So I feel I'm well qualified to answer any questions anyone might have regarding bicycle safety. If you wish you can post a thread here asking or send me a PM.

Thank you.

John

Bekologist

How can I carry a cup of coffee and a danish with me on my morning ride?

jeff-o

Can I ride to the far left of a three lane wide one-way street?

N_C

As long as it is legal to do so on the street you're riding on, yes you can.

noisebeam

Can you draft while cycling?

Al

N_C

I usually advise against it as a general rule. Unless you really know the person or people you're riding with I suggest against it. If you know & trust them well & are very familiar with their riding style & abilities then it is probably ok to draft. But do so carefully.

powers2b

How can I convince local boyscout troops to come to the bicycle co-op to earn their cycling and community service merit badges?
We have the bikes, parts, and LCI instructors.
The scouts can even take a bike home with them if they want.
I attempted to contact local troops through their websites but I suspect they do not get updated or checked very often.

kf5nd

How do people who use messenger bags keep them from falling off to the side and dangling in front of them? (serious question)

powers2b

I'll take this one John,
Real messenger bags have chest straps that keep the straps tight and prevent the twisting you describe.

Enjoy

noisebeam

I use both a chest strap and a waist strap with my bag which keeps it tight to my body even for bunny hops, etc. With this setup I have ridden on rough single track and had no problems. Just a waist or chest strap alone are fine for roads, but even then I like both to jump potholes, etc.

Al

Helmet Head

I'll bite. (not that I don't have my own answers, I'm curious as to what yours are).

1. How do you avoid being hit by an opening door of a parked car while riding at 20 mph on a 6 lane road with high speed/high volume traffic?
2. How do you get in the left turn lane on this road?
3. Where do you ride on a busy steep up hill 4-lane road with a construction project that has squeezed the right lane down to a width of 9 feet?
4. I'm approaching an intersection with a red light. My destination is to go straight. The rightmost lane is fairly wide, and is designated for straight or right. The bike lane extends all the way to the intersection; the stripe goes from solid to dashed the last 20 feet or so. Where do I stop?
   1. Along the right edge of the right lane, in the (dashed) bike lane.
   2. To the left of the bike lane, on the "right tire track" of thru traffic.
   3. In the center of the right lane.
   4. On the left tire track of the right lane.
   5. On the left edge of the right lane.
5. I'm approaching an intersection where I need to turn right, and there is a right turn only lane. There is no bike lane. Where do I position myself in the right turn only lane?
   1. Along the right edge.
   2. On the "right tire track".
   3. In the center of the lane.
   4. On the left tire track.
   5. Along the left edge.
6. I'm riding along a 6 lane roadway in the bike lane on a quiet Saturday morning. Up ahead there is a utility truck stopped in the right lane (not at an intersection). An orange caution cone is in the lane 10 feet behind him. Do I continue in the bike lane and pass him on the right, or do I merge left and pass him on the left?

Treespeed

Real messengers bodies are contorted and after a few years you don't need the chest strap to hold the bag up on your back.

Noisebeam what kind of bag do you use that has a chest strap and a waist strap? Sounds more like a backpack. Or are you referring to the shoulder strap as a chest strap?

noisebeam

I use the Timbuk2 laptop bag. It comes with a waist strap, but I emailed them and they sent me a chest strap. I used the chest strap for a while and it worked just like the old messenger bag I used, but later for kicks started to use the waist one too and it kept things even more stable when I jumped.

What do you mean by contorted?

Al

Treespeed

I'm half kidding, but my right shoulder is a little lower than my left and I think its from over a decade of carrying a fully loaded messenger bag. I use the biggest size bailey bag and never have any problem with it slipping around. I always found the chest strap too annoying, also I've forgotten to clip it and had it catch in my back wheel.

Dchiefransom

Get a recumbent. You can put accessories on them that keep these items handy. Use a boat cup holder for the coffee. They swivel to stay level.

DieselDan

How do I avoid getting hit by a truck after making a U-turn in front of it without looking?

operator

I can go 40mph on flats, how can I increase that to 50mph?

N_C

First of all are you already registered as a merit badge counselor? If not, that is the first step.

The way it was explained to me is the scouts will contact me when they are ready to pursue their Cycling Merit Badge. It is not something I am to convince them to do when I want. At least this is how it works in my area. Part of the reason for this is it teaches the scouts the responsibility they need to become an Eagle. The Cycling Merit Badge is a requirment for Eagle.

You might want to check the regulations that govern the scouting council in your area to see if you're allowed to encourage the scouts to pursue & complete the requirments for the Cycling Merit Badge. Otherwise you'll have to wait until they contact you.

N_C

Thank you. Because I don't have an answer for that one. The closest I ever came to using a bag strapped to my body while riding was the back pack I used when I commuted to & from college. And it never moved as it was securley strapped to my back.

N_C

If you're refereing to my accident that happened almost 3 years ago now let me clarify some things before I answer you question.

First it was not a truck but a car. Second I DID look, in the mirror I had at the time. The mirror that WAS attached to the left side of my handle bars works like the right mirror of a car. "Objects are closer then they appear." I did not know this at the time, I honestly did not know that is how the mirror works, that was a big mistake on my part. I found the hard & painful way.

Now to answer your question make sure the you know how the mirror you're using works. Especially if riding a recumbent. On a wedgie looking over your shoulder or under your arm is much easier then on a recumbent so use that method of looking as well. After my accident when I was healed enough to ride & my bike was fixed from the damage I moved the handle bar mirror to the right side & bought a helmet mirror that shows real distance.

N_C

I've reported this to the Admin. & Mod. because you're attempting to bait me into a conflict with you & try to get me to engage in & start a "flame war". Just thought I'd warn you.

N_C

Slow down & look ahead. Look through the window or in the side mirror to see if you can spot drivers wanting to get out of their vehicle. And ride a little more to the left of the parking lane if you can.

Not sure I know which road you're refereing to but starting moving to the left before the turn lane. Point with your left hand & arm what your intentions are. If you have to change multiple lanes to get the left turn lane, change lanes one at a time, not all at once.

Find another route for the time being. Especially if it is as bad as it sounds.

Change to the motor vehicle lane. Ride as close to the middle of it as you can when you cross the intersection. It is called defensive riding. This way you avoud being "right hooked" by the motorists who want to turn right behind you. If there are no vehicles that want to turn right then stay in the bike lane.

If you have to stop to wait for a light or your turn at a 4-way stop place yourself toward the middle of the lane, in the middle of the right tire track. Signal your intentions. When the light changes or it is your turn make your right turn but as you do so move to the right side of the roadway more. If you do not have to stop, signal your intention of turning right. Move to the left side of the right tire track & make your turn. As you're doing so move back to the right.

Pass him on the left.

norton

Is this an April Fool Troll?.....

DieselDan

The truth is out there.

Helmet Head

Bzzt. Correct answer: Stay OUT of the door zone so you are completely unaffected by opening doors. If that means you have to take the lane, take it.


Partial credit. You forgot to mention LOOK BACK OVER YOUR LEFT SHOULDER and WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO YIELD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY before you merge left. Just signalling your intent does not give you the right-of-way. The gap has to be there, or someone has to create one for you by slowing down to your speed.


Bzzt! The correct answer is... take the (right) lane. Be assertive. Works like a charm.


Bzzt. You did not answer the question. The question wasn't about where you ride as you cross the intersection, it was about where do you position yourself while you're stopped waiting for the red light. Changing to the "motor vehicle lane" is worth partial credit, but you get 2 demerits for refering to it as a "motor vehicle lane". It's a "regular traffic" lane, and cyclists have the same right to is as do drivers of motor vehicles, so calling it a MV lane reflects bad, bad, bad anti-cycling thinking. Shame on you! But the question was about where in the main traffic lane do you stop.

Correct answer: d) On the left tire track of the right lane.. This gives right turning cars room to pass you on your right and leaves you in a position where you are visible and your intent to go straight is clear and obvious.


Very good, though I wouldn't move "back to the right" unless I had a good reason to do so (i.e, faster traffic behind me).


VERY GOOD!

Serge